Another Nominee in Tax Trouble

Posted on Mar 31, 2009

This has gone from coincidence to self-parody to alarming. Another of Barack Obama’s nominees has had to apologize for not paying her full taxes. Kathleen Sebelius, the president’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, has now paid off $7,918, a paltry debt compared with Tom Daschle’s $140,000.

We don’t mean to pile on the Kansas governor. Her mistakes appear honest and minor next to those of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who didn’t bother to pay $34,000, despite warnings from the IRS (which he now oversees).

How many Americans this year will find themselves receiving that dreaded notice from the IRS and wondering what Cabinet post they might have filled?

Reuters:

Kathleen Sebelius, named as U.S. health secretary by President Barack Obama, became his latest nominee to reveal income tax issues, saying on Tuesday she paid nearly $8,000 to settle errors over three years.

Sebelius, the governor of Kansas, must pass a confirmation process in Congress before she can lead Obama’s overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare sector to cut costs and provide coverage to an estimated 46 million uninsured Americans.